Monday, July 11, 2011

Even Jack would be impressed with these beans!

This post is dedicated to my Godchild ~ "Jack" who just celebrated his second birthday!

Happy Birthday Jack - hope your birthday was magical!

I am pretty sure that the folk tale of "Jack and the Bean Stalk" was inspired by these little ole beans right here - the package said yard long beans and rarely does a package deliver what it promises these days; but this was a pleasant surprise....couldn't you could imagine Jack shimmying up this bean to climb his beanstalk! When I was planting my garden this year, a small packet of these beans somehow escaped planting and surfaced from last year, so I decided, what the heck - lets plant them and see what happens; nothing ventured - nothing gained. Little did I expect that these beans, these strong, tenacious beans, could survive 100 plus degrees heat; three weeks of no rain; a neighbor who thought he would surprise me with planting potato plants over them in an "empty" row, weeds gone wild and our many variants of Louisiana pests and insects. One bean will grow two to three feet each, they taste delicious and the plants multiply and grow like rabbits!

I have a new-found cure for world hunger.

It starts off slow and sweet - a beautiful purple bloom....

Then it picks up steam by evolving into a double bloom.

And then the fun begins - am I getting old or what???? Fun begins when a bean starts growing? If you like to garden they are a blast...growing before your eyes. Trust me, you have never seen anything like this. There are many times you will find me, a farmer - out standing in my field - just staring at them...

The double blooms turn into double beans and every time you turn around, there are new beans popping out. It is enough to make you think you are ready for the old folk's home. Just when you pick them all and think there are no more in sight,

there is another batch to pick! I had so many that I gave several plants to my mother-in-law Gran-E, and it has fed her family and summer guests all summer! The gift that keeps on giving. We are so impressed with our beans, that Gran-E gave me the good idea of drying the beans so we can
plant some for next year.

With that in mind,

I raced out to my wonderful bean patch and do you know what...anticipating that we may need more for planting, they dried themselves on the stalk and were dried and ready to put up for the next years of bountiful crops. However, what was strange is that even though some of the beans were dried, a whole new batch was growing and ready to be harvested....God as my witness - I am not embellishing!

But before I could take those beans and put them up properly, I looked over and what did I see, those beans, in a pan, cooking themselves up for dinner......like I said - magical!

You are welcome - since I didn't send (ahem) a birthday card, I thought this was a better way to say Happy Birthday! Birthday Present is still to come......could turn in to a Christmas present but don't worry, I will not let that happen to my God Child! It will get in the mail if it is the last thing I do on this earth...OK that was a bit extreme!

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About Me

I am "Mom" to three incredible, wonderful girls (I know, I know ~ I am a bit biased - but hey, aren't all Mamas...that is what we are here for ~ to champion our children!); a wonderful husband who doesn't get near enough credit in my blog; three gorgeous girl dogs; 15 egg producing chickens; one squawking cockatiel, two independent cats, 13 baby producing rabbits ~ yes the saying "breed like rabbits" is true; one cooing dove; seven hay and feed eating horses; two turtles that do nothing; and a partridge in a pear tree (had to say it!). This is a random blog that depicts a bit of what our crazy life is like when you mix them all together! If you have a minute ~ become a follower! If you like my posts ~ leave a comment. Enjoy the ride......